Lifewise Big Sleep Out 2014: Why Am I Sleeping Rough?

Rebecca (Married Woman, Refugee) from ‘Whore’ is sleeping rough for the first time. She considers herself a bit of a nomad, travelling from country to country, trying to find a place called “home”. Find out why she is going to be a ‘rough sleeper’ on 3 July.

I’m doing the ‘Big Sleep Out’ because it’s important to see and experience what I don’t know. I have no idea how difficult it is for people to deal with this every (single) day. I will hopefully get the smallest taste of what it’s like, for people who do this every night. In the cold, in the wet, when it’s unsafe and you’re terrified about who might want a piece of you. By sleeping rough, I get to experience some part of how that (makes me) feels. That’s what I love about life – being able to relate to and understand people, including homeless people.